One Foot in the Ether

Album Review

As you might expect from a group fronted by three singer/songwriters, the material on One Foot in the Ether is uniformly strong. The band's principals -- Colin Brooks, Gordy Quist, and Ed Jurdi -- all share writing and publishing credits, and since all three play several instruments, the album boasts a diversity of sounds and styles. "You're Gonna Miss Me" is a blues with a gospel tinge, a stuttering, New Orleans backbeat supplied by drummer John Chipman and rousing group vocals make the track take fire. "Golden Calf" is a swampy field holler that references a famous Old Testament image; the music is dark, bluesy and funereal, a blend of Howlin' Wolf and the Staple Singers.